Holiday Season

As the holiday season rolls around, I am happy to see things are getting better everyday.  I am a blessed person, and I cannot wait for the start of a new decade!

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On a different note, I googled myself and came up with an article in the Vietnamese newspaper about my Valedictorian speech back in high school:

http://www.nguoi-viet.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=27772&z=3

“Trong buổi lễ ra trường tại Trường Trung Học Garden Grove vào chiều ngày 22 tháng 6, em Isabella Lai, học sinh thủ khoa, đã nhân cơ hội này đọc lời phát biểu bằng tiếng Việt để cám ơn riêng đến với bà ngoại của em trong bài diễn văn thủ khoa đọc tại buổi lễ…Ðây là biểu tượng rất đáng hãnh diện không những cho các học sinh Việt Nam, mà còn cho các phụ huynh và Cộng đồng Việt Nam.”

My rough translation:

“During the graduation ceremony at Garden Grove High on June 22, Isabella Lai, the Valedictorian, used the opportunity to thank her grandmother in Vietnamese in her commencement speech.  This is not only a prideful (? memorable?) act for all Vietnamese students, but also for the parents and the Vietnamese Community.“

I really can’t believe there was a news article about me.  Very cool.  I’m pretty happy about it

Life is perfect

As I was talking to my sister yesterday about some of her patients and things, I realized that my life is really perfect.

I have everything figured out, or at least a lot of it.  Things I don’t have figured out, it’s so exciting.  There is so much to look forward to.

This year off is first and foremost about rediscovering myself.

I feel very happy, for the first time in a long time.  I hope that people can feel this way too.

Happiness is a relaxing and calming feeling.  It is the knowledge that everything will work out well.  Even if things don’t, at least in the end, there is a lesson to be learned, and life is all the better because of it.

I love this quote:

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

 

I think it’s true that I am a really lucky girl.

Life is perfect.

 

No Regrets

So many things have happened, but I’m happy about how things have turned out.

No regrets because I gave everything my all, given the situation, my knowledge, and my personality

So yes, no regrets. 

Enjoying Life

I’ve been in a constant battle to fix the past.

Now I realized, it’s easier to go with the flow of things.

Yes, there are things I wish to change.  Yes, if given the opportunity, I would change them.

But I won’t fight it anymore because it’s tiring and futile.

I’m happy, and that’s what matters.

Rejection

My first rejection: Vanderbilt School of Medicine

I saw Jason online so I decided to talk to him about it.  To say the very least, he made me feel a lot better…

Jason:  Thats one of the schools that interviews very few

me:  I  thought they were ivy friendly

Jason:  Nah, theyre friendly to good-looking people…I’m not joking

me:  Why?  good looking people go there?

Jason:  mmm, people just always say vandi tends to do that.  I guess you’re just ugly 0_o

Regrets

Lately, regrets have been eating me up: things I could’ve done, things I should’ve done, things I did.

I wish that I had the ability to stop thinking and just jump into it.  To not wonder and linger on the past are traits that I hope one day I can acquire.

Yet, at the same time, maybe this is who I am?  I would be a different person if I were to lose this part of myself.  Although, it hurts a lot, what do I do?

Even my hesitation to let go of this part of myself shows my inability to not over analyze.

Am I able to let go and cherish the past but look forward to a bright future?

I need courage, and I need hope.

Where will I end up?

After I finished my medical school applications, I came to the realization, my future is no longer in my control.  Where I’ll end up will depend on admission committees from all around the country: If they like me as an applicant, if they see me as a good fit for the school, if they view me as qualified…

I wonder where I’ll end up in the end. I’ll be 27 by the time I graduate.  Who would I be then?  What then? It’s so strange.

Memory Trick

So, I have an unusual talent.  I don’t know if it’s so much talent as my inherent craziness.

I can remember people and certain things about them (scores, class ranking, etc.).  It’s strange.  I don’t actually want to remember that, but I just do.

I think this can be useful if I can somehow manipulate it so that when I have patients, I can associate certain scores with certain diseases.

I.E.  A 3.7 gpa with a 38 MCAT.  Oh that patient has retinal detachment and high blood pressure. 

          A 3.97 –> OMG, that patient has a severe disease

Secondaries

I finally finished all my secondary medical school applications. Now it’s time to wait…it’s good to finally be done with this phase.